Flight cancelled - booked with Virgin Atlantic, flight with Delta - no compensation!

nikolam74

Hi, I booked a flight+hotel with Virgin Atlantic and parts of the journey were with Delta Airlines as VA said they share the routes with them. The final flight home to London from Atlanta was cancelled. We weren't given any reason but heard it was to do with a malfunctioning oven. After a fight with Delta (because they said it was Virgin Atlantic's responsibility), they agreed to put us up in a hotel with $24 each for the 17 hours delay. This covered a breakfast and orettu much nothing else as everything is so expensive at hotels and airports. Virgin booked us on a Delta flight the following evening so we were over 17 hours late to our destination. 

I have tried to claim compensation under the EU Claims but Virgin have said because the flight was with Delta, they won't do anything and to contact Delta. Delta have offered us a $50 voucher each to use against a future flight with Delta - we won't be using this as we would need to book an international flight to use it and won't be doing that before the voucher expires in 12 months.Apparently, you can only use the EU Claims if your flight was from or to the UK and with a UK airline. 

Is there anything else we can do? As far as I am concerned, we booked with a UK company, paid in UK pounds to a UK credit card but because Virgin share planes with another airline, we are now out of the chance to claim despite 4 of our party being late back to work and having to use another days' holiday. Can anyone help me? Thank you in advance.

Westin

If that ATL/LHR flight was booked as a Delta service then as they say, you are not covered under UK261 (EU261).  Had it been booked as a Virgin Atlantic operated service then you would have been covered.

eskbanker

nikolam74 said:

Is there anything else we can do? As far as I am concerned, we booked with a UK company, paid in UK pounds to a UK credit card but because Virgin share planes with another airline, we are now out of the chance to claim despite 4 of our party being late back to work and having to use another days' holiday. Can anyone help me? Thank you in advance.

Unfortunately, as above, as far as the regulations are concerned, none of those factors overrides the fact that non-UK/EU airlines flying into the UK are out of scope, as any responsibilities under these regulations rest with the operating air carrier (not the airline you bought the ticket from).

Does your travel insurance include any cover for lengthy delays perhaps?

Caz3121

for future holidays you can ensure you select a flight that is "operated by" an in-scope carrier if you want to be covered by the regulations.
With Virgin Holidays the default may have been a flight 'operated by Delta' but you can choose alternative flights.